Black Coffee
by IrredeemableSoul
Summary: I really would have never guessed in a million years, that spilling coffee on him would lead to this. [SasukeSakura]
1. Chapter 1

**Black Coffee**

This is my first Naruto story! YAYY! I AM SOO EXCITED!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters...WAAH.

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Anyways, enjoy!

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I glanced at the clock for what must have been the fifth time in two minutes, 6:43. I sighed, I'm not usually this irritable. How _did _I get roped into working overtime anyways? From behind the counter, I vaguely watched the customers in the café, hoping for some entertainment. But no, they were as interesting as drying paint. I was puffing strands of pink hair out of my face when my friend walked in.

"Ino?" she never visited me much at work.

"Sakura!" Ino half-ran over to the counter, and sat on one of the tall chairs, "I have _news..._"

Of course she does, she was the typical social butterfly, and her family was rich...super rich.

"So, what's up?" I asked, half curious.

"Guess who just asked me out?" she was practically squealing at this point.

"Who?"

"I said guess!"

"I don't know...seriously, you must have dated at least half the guys in this city." I joked. But she probably had, considering the fact that her romantic history dates back to when we were three.

"Okay, fine. You know Satoshi? From the— Oooh, mama!"

Oh boy...Ino never got distracted while talking about a man unless–

"Who's _that _gorgeous hunk of meat?"

Unless she saw a hotter one.

I looked over at the new customer. Apparently, Ino wasn't the only one who noticed him– practically all the females in the room were staring.

The young man had a head of beautiful raven-black hair, some of it at the back defiantly spiked up. His eyes were hidden by a pair of aviator sunglasses — vain of him, really, he was inside. A sharp nose and perfect, frowning lips sat on his flawless, lightly sun-kissed face. His cheekbones were high, and his jawlines chiselled. He looked like he just walked out of every woman's fantasy. Including mine.

"Ooh, and look at that hot body!" my blond friend suddenly exclaimed, as quietly as she could.

"Oh geez." I muttered.

"You know it's true," she taunted, and then, "hottie's got taste, too! Just look at those clothes...Definitely not knock-offs."

I couldn't help but look over again, and finally noticed what he was wearing— I was too busy looking at his face before. He wore a white shirt with thick black stripes on it, and on top, a beige jacket draped over his broad shoulders. Long legs strode with impossible grace under a pair of baggy, black jeans.

He sat down at a table, and began typing away at the black Macbook that was previously tucked under his arms.

"Get over there!" Ino commanded.

"Why _me_?"

"Um, let's see, because you work here?"

"Oh. Right." I was bitterly reminded that the others had the night off.

Suddenly feeling unreasonably nervous, I walked over to his table.

"Um..." hearing my voice, he looked up, his eyes somehow managed to be piercing behind those sunglasses.

"W-what would you like?" I asked, feeling ridiculous that I should be stuttering like a love-struck schoolgirl.

"Black coffee." he simply said, his voice irresistible and mysterious as everything else about him.

"Anything else?"

He just shook his head, and went back to typing.

"Alright."

Back at the counter, Ino was waiting to hear the juicy details.

"So? Was he nice? Did you flirt?"

"No." I said while pouring his coffee.

"What do you mean, no?"

"He's sort of..." I looked for the right word, "Distant. And you know I can't flirt. Remember _that_ time?"

"Oh yeah..." then she laughed; apparently, my inability to flirt was _that _funny.

To avoid anymore interrogation, I took the coffee to where he sat, while Ino was lost in happy memories of my humiliation. But just as I arrived at his table, my impossible clumsiness kicked in. It had happened so fast; I slipped on something (water?), fell forward, and spilt the hot, steaming coffee. _On_ _him_. As I straightened up to look at the damage I'd done, I wanted the cherry-wood floor to open up and swallow me whole.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Oh God...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry, I really am..." I was on the brink of tears.

A big, black stain was settling in on the front of his shirt, and a part of his jacket. His jaw was clenched, and I could feel his glare boring into me behind those shades. I waited for the yelling and half-expected a punch, but it never came. Without a word, he slammed his Macbook shut, tucked it under his arms, and walked out.

Not two minutes later, a glossy, black Cadillac pulled out of the parking lot and tore down the street.

"Well," Ino said behind me, "I think you kinda blew _that _one."

"No kidding." I muttered, bitter and embarrassed, as the whole café watched.

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The dimly lit apartment was a welcoming escape from today's events. I really wanted to cry, what if the stain never came off? What if he got burned by the coffee? What if he sued me? Oh no, I didn't have that much money...

This had to be the worst day ever, and I had to be the biggest klutz in history. Who else could spill coffee on another person by accident? Pathetic, really.

And with the accompaniment of these cheerful thoughts, I fell asleep.

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I was completely surprised when he came back the very next day. Of course, there was no danger of me spilling coffee— other waitresses were here today, and they were more than eager to serve him. I was strangely relieved when I saw that he didn't pay any attention to their crazy, over-the-top flirtations, and was instead engrossed in a book.

It continued like that for weeks. He'd come in and read his book while drinking black coffee. It was hard trying not to look at him, my eyes always seemed wander over to his table, he was just so intriguing. And sometimes, he'd throw a glance my way, his eyes would study me for a fraction of a second behind those shades before looking away. I never understood those looks. Maybe he just thought I was weird; having been born with pink hair, green eyes, and a big forehead, I did get teased a lot.

I looked forward to work now, to seeing him. Even though we never interacted, it always made my day when he showed up. But why? I wondered.

It wasn't until a month and a half later that I actually got to talk to him again.

I was the only waitress on duty. The café was empty besides a couple in the corner, cuddling like there's no tomorrow. They looked to be in their early twenties. I sighed as I watched them, I must be the only single 22-year-old on the planet. Or even better, the universe.

It was late, and I thought that maybe he wouldn't be here today. I didn't know if he showed everyday, but when I work, he's always here. Of course, it was stupid and vain to presume that he came here for me— the guy probably hated me for ruining his shirt and possibly burning a hole into his chest.

I was ready to sulk when he walked in, looking more like a Greek god than anything else. He sat down at his usual table, and started reading. It was a new book, _Angels & Demons. _As I walked over, I felt ridiculous— I was about to talk to the person I spilt coffee on.

"Um...hi."

He just looked at me again, with an unreadable expression.

"What...what would you like today?" I stumbled again. Damn, whats wrong with me?

"The usual." he said before turning back to his book.

"Right." I knew it was black coffee, so I turned to leave.

"Oh, and..." he began again.

"Yes?" I turned around to face him. Did he want a muffin?

"Try _not _spilling anything this time." Sarcasm dripped from every word as amusement lightly tugged at one corner of his mouth. My heart went wild then, seeing his smirk.

"Right." I muttered again, red with embarrassment, and some other unknown emotion.

Fortunately, the black coffee was, in fact, not spilled when I delivered it to him.

"See? I didn't spill it." I said, feeling childishly triumphant for the moment.

"Heh."

If that was a laugh, it had to be the shortest, emptiest, most humourless laugh ever.

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When it was closing time, the couple had already left. But he was still there, looking thoroughly absorbed by the book. I wasn't even sure I should bother him, but decided to take the chance. I couldn't lock him in here for the night, after all.

"Um...we have to close now...so..."

Without a word, he shut his book and stood, towering over me. He took a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to me.

I didn't take it, "Coffee's on the house, since I...you know."

"Hn." he said nonchalantly and stalked out.

After shutting off the lights, I locked the door and walked onto the street. It was a pleasantly cool night. Breezes were playing havoc with my hair, but I didn't mind. I was so distracted by the nice weather, that, while crossing the road, I made the most stupid mistake: I forgot to look both ways first.

So, there I was, in the middle of the street, paralysed with fear as I stared at the headlights of a truck that was about to crush me. But impact didn't come from the direction I expected it to, as something knocked me off the road. I landed back on the sidewalk, with that something on top. It swiftly got off me, and stood. Slowly, I got up too, unharmed, except for a headache where my skull made contact with the hard ground.

But when I looked up, my heart stopped, and picked up in double time. It wasn't an it that saved me! It was a him! And _noo, _it couldn't be just any him, it was _the _him! As in, the him I spilt coffee on! Then, my heart skipped another several beats as I realized something— his sunglasses were gone.

Under the streetlight, I examined them in awe— stupid, I know, gawking like a child. But his eyes...they were the most amazing thing I've ever seen. They were pure black, so dark I couldn't tell where his iris began. Staring into them was like looking up at the winter sky, I was completely entranced.

"Hey," an indifferent voice startled me, "you alright?"

"Umm...I think so," I tore my eyes away from his face, cheeks turning pink, "thanks, you just saved my life."

"Hn." he shrugged, and walked away. I watched him and wondered where his car was.

I was just about to leave too, when something on the ground caught my eye. I bent down to pick up the object, it was a strangely familiar necklace. A red-and-white circular fan— symbol for the Uchiha family— dangled off of a silver chain. The red part of the miniature fan was incrusted with rubies, while the white part sparkled with studded diamonds. I turned the intricate fan around, and found engravings:

_To Sasuke,_

_with love_

_From Mother_

So, this must belong to a Sasuke Uchiha. But what was it doing here, right in front of the café? An Uchiha wouldn't come here.

Then, it struck me as horror settled in— I realized where I'd seen the necklace. I saw it on _him _tonight, but barely noticed or recognised it because of his stupid, distracting, perfectly gorgeous face. But that means I...I SPILT COFFE ON (and got saved by, but mostly spilt coffe on) AN UCHIHA! GAHH! I screamed silently all the way home.

No. Way. This must be a bad dream.

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_To be continued..._

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Hope you liked it:)

Please give me feedbacks on this chapter! I really want to know if you like it and if I should continue...

And please tell me if anyone was OOC, or if you want any other couples in the story.

Well, thats it for now, see ya next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Black Coffee

Hey, it's me again :)

Hope you didn't have to wait too long for this...

I'm really surprised how many good feedbacks and encouragement I received! You should've seen it: I had a huge smile plastered onto my face while reading the reviews...THANKS SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: still don't own Naruto... or else Sasuke and Sakura would have married and had children already. :)

Well...hope you like it!

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_I...I SPILT COFFE ON (and got saved by, but mostly spilt coffe on) AN UCHIHA! GAHH! _

"AHHH!" I woke up screaming.

Frantically, I looked around, and was relieved that nothing had changed in my small bedroom. That didn't last, however, as I noticed the pretty necklace on the night-stand. My nightmare had returned, only this time, it was real.

Oh no, what was I going to do? Of course I was going to return it, but...he's an _UCHIHA! _Like the guy wasn't intimidating enough to talk to with_out _that last name! I felt like crying, and that's when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Sakura! Get up and get ready, geez." My roommate called, "don't you have to work double-shift today?"

"AH! I FORGOT!" In the frenzy, I fell off the bed. "Ow..."

The door opened, and she walked in time to see me wincing on the floor.

"Tenten! What happened to your hair?" I asked, noticing that it was only shoulder-length.

"I cut it." when she said that, I heard a trace of sadness and anger.

"Why? You love putting it up in buns!"

"No!" she suddenly raised her voice, "_he _liked it when I did that. So no more! I'm moving on."

"Ohh..." I couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment, the subject of Tenten's ex is a delicate one.

"Sorry about that, got worked up over nothing." she muttered after a moment, calming down.

"That's ok." I comforted, and then, "Oh no! Work! I'm gonna be late!"

Never bothering to eat breakfast, I changed in a haste, carelessly grabbing the necklace off my night stand, and ran out.

"I might go visit you, okay?" Tenten called after me when I was half-way down the hall, frantically running.

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Anxiously, I felt the necklace in my pocket again, waiting for him to walk in. I knew I had to give it back, but I was so scared, and I wasn't even sure why. It might not even be his; he is an Uchiha, but he didn't have to be _Sasuke _Uchiha. Still, the thought of starting an actual conversation with him was unnerving. So unnerving, that when he walked in at around six, looking like an artist's masterpiece coming to life, I forgot to breathe.

_Okay, Sakura, _I told myself, _you can do this. Just breathe, in and out...get that heart started first._

Today, though, instead of indifferent, he seemed irritated at something, as his brows were furrowed, and the frown on his lips deepened.

_Well, here goes,_ I thought as I approached his table, _maybe he _won't_ shoot laser beams out of his eyes at me..._

"Uh..."

"What?" he snapped, turning to me from his book.

As soon as he did that, all the words I was going to say left me. Traitors, the bunch of them.

"I-it's still...still the usual, r-right?" I managed to choke out in my nervousness.

"Hn." I took the grunt as a yes, and fled.

_Gee, how brave I am. _I thought bitterly as I poured coffee.

However, I still needed to ask, no matter how many chills run down my neck when I see him glaring behind a new pair of sunglasses. Okay, again, then. I just needed to get things over with, that shouldn't be too hard. _Just...don't look at his face._

Coffee mug in hand, I took a deep breath and half-stumbled over to his table. After setting down the hot liquid, I took a deep breath, reached for the necklace, and took it out of my pocket to show him. Surprise flashed through his eyes if not for an instant as he eyed the piece of jewellery.

"I-is it...yours?" I asked nervously.

"Yes." he answered flatly as he snatched the necklace out of my hand.

"So, you're..."

"SASUKE-TEME! THERE YOU ARE!" A booming voice came from the entrance.

"Shit." I heard him grumble.

When I looked at the source of the loud voice, there stood a young man, he didn't look a year older than me. His light blond hair was spiked, his eyes a bright, sparkling blue. He wasn't bad looking, kind of cute, but nothing compared to the Uchiha sitting down. With a smile that took almost half his face, he ran over to us, stopped in front of the table, and turned to me.

"Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm Sasuke's best friend!" he said proudly, and very noisily, while the other man snorted.

"Err...hey." I responded.

"What's your name?" the blond asked, not the least bit shy.

"Sakura." but it wasn't me who answered.

"EHH?! Teme knows her name?" the one named Naruto asked incredulously.

Sasuke Uchiha rolled his eyes, "It's on her name tag. Now go away, dobe."

The command was ignored as the man sat down at the table with his friend. I just stood there, knowing I should probably leave, but not really wanting to.

"I was wondering, when I found the place, why you've been hiding over here for almost two months," the boy-ish one started, "now I know...CUTE WAITRESSES EVERYWHERE!"

Naruto turned to me then, "Especially the you, Sakura!"

I gave him a questioning look, as in, _are you kidding me?_

"You're the cutest gi— OW!" a spoon was thrown at his face, but that didn't stop him, "Teme probably really likes y— OWWW!" this time, it was a book that struck his head. Both objects courtesy of his dark-haired friend.

"Stop harassing people, and how did you find me?" he demanded

"I followed you, teme!" he said brightly, then looked at me again, "Could I have a chocolate-chip cookie?"

"S-Sure...anything else?" I suddenly remembered I was a waitress.

"No, thanks."

"Alright."

I walked back to the counter in a daze, a little confused at what had happened. Absentmindedly, I grabbed a cookie, put it on a plate, and walked over to them.

"Thank you!" Naruto grinned widely at me, then turned back to his friend, "I brought some people with me, too!"

The other man just rolled his eyes again, as the blond continued, "they're finding parking space, and should be here any minute."

As if on cue, two more young men walked in, and I suddenly had the urge to ask if Sasuke Uchiha had a "Gorgeous Men's Club". One of them was laid back, with half-lidded black eyes, and raven hair tied up in a high ponytail, the other stood with a proud air around him, long dark brown hair was tied in a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, his unusual, pale lavender eyes scanned the room.

"Hyuuga, Nara." Sasuke greeted them as they approached.

"Uchiha." the one with strange eyes replied, and the slouching one nodded idly. Oh, how vibrant and rich their vocabularies were.

They sat down as well, the table for four now fully occupied.

"Ha! Are you surprised, teme? They wanted to see you!" the loud-mouth exclaimed.

"Troublesome..." the lazy one muttered, while the other stranger just grunted, which looked to me as if they've been dragged along against their wills.

"Ahh..." I started, feeling like an intruder, when all four men looked at me, "Would...would you like anything?"

"No, thank you." the brown haired one answered politely, and nobody else said a thing.

I vague wondered how they could all be friends, I mean, the only one who didn't have a three-word limit on his sentences was Naruto.

I watched the Uchiha as he (barely) talked with his friends, not being able to help himself. He was just so enigmatic and gorgeous, I wondered if he was even human sometimes. At the table, Naruto seemed to have said something to him, and he turned his head to look straight at me. Realizing I've been caught staring, my cheeks burned a shade of red as I tore my eyes away from him, only to look back a few moments later.

_Okay..._I thought to myself, _time to admit I got a _little tiny _crush_ _on that guy_.

"Hey, Sakura," Tenten greeted me, popping out of nowhere.

"OH! Hi...and stop doing that."

"What? It's not my fault you're too busy staring at something," she stated matter-of-factly, following my gaze, "what, is there a hot— whoa."

"You were saying...?" I raised on eyebrow.

"W-O-W," she turned back to me and mouthed, exaggerating the word.

I laughed lightly at her reaction, suddenly remembering that Ino would kill to see this, and laughed harder.

"What is this," Tenten asked, "pretty boy central?"

"Hah." I snorted, and then noticing my friend's attention was focussed on only one person— it was the man with light-coloured eyes, and a quiet sigh escaped her.

"Uh...Tenten?"

"Yes?!" she nearly jumped a foot.

I eyed her suspiciously, "You like him, don't you?"

"N-noo...I don't like Neji, wh-why would I?" she stuttered. _Stuttered. Tenten, _the tough girl, just _stuttered._

"You know his name?" I asked, and she froze.

"Uhh...well...you see..."

"SAKURA! COME HERE PLEASE!" Naruto called, and I wondered how old he really was.

"This isn't over..." I warned Tenten as I left, but she looked relieved nonetheless.

When I arrived at the table, all four of them stood, Sasuke took out a twenty-dollar bill and left it there.

"Keep the change, we're leaving." he said, emotionless.

Before I could answer, they walked past me and out of the café, attracting much of the females' open stares. They ignored it all, but it never escaped my noticed that the one called Neji briefly glanced at an oblivious Tenten, who was staring off into space.

_There's definitely a story there, _I thought, making a note to interrogate her later.

"Hey." the velvety voice snapped me out my thoughts.

I looked up, and came face to face with Sasuke Uchiha. Didn't he just leave? Not that I'm complaining.

"Y-Yes?" I answered, hating how much I stuttered around him, "Did you forget something?"

"No." he dead-panned.

"Then...What is it?"

He didn't answer right away.

"About the necklace..." he breathed after a moment, letting a trace of emotion slip, and took a step toward me.

"A-Aahhaaa...?" every single thought left my head.

"Thanks." he murmured, seeming embarrassed about having to thank someone.

"Uhh...no problem." I smiled then he obviously meant what he said.

"TEME! LET'S GO ALREADY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the yelling came from outside the building, yet it was still so loud.

"Dobe." he muttered.

Without even a goodbye, he left, but I didn't care...my head was still floating up in the clouds somewhere...

"Sakura!" a voice snapped me out of it.

"What? Where? How?"

"So," I found Tenten in front of me, "_He_ seems to like you."

"Oh! No, he doesn't. Trust me. Why would he?" Right, of course he didn't, he'd have to be crazy to like someone who spilt coffee on him.

"But you wish he would, don't you?" she teased.

"What?! No way! I so do not wish— yeah...I kinda do." I finally admitted defeat.

"Ha!" a triumphant smirk crossed her face.

I pouted, _she'll get _hers _someday._

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"So..." I commenced the interrogation once we got back to our apartment, "How _did _you meet this Neji?"

"Uh," she twitched nervously, "Well, that its..."

"C'mon, you can trust me..."

"I can't tell you right now," she faked a cough, "I'm sick, I have to get to bed, bye!"

She ran to her bedroom, and shut the door.

"This isn't over!" I shouted.

"Sleeping!" she yelled from her bedroom, voice muffled probably by pillows.

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_What a confusing day._ I thought wearily to as I climbed into the comfortable bed and easily fell asleep. However, it wasn't a dreamless sleep.

That night was the first of many, the night I dreamt of Sasuke Uchiha.

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_To be continued..._

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Soo...Did ya like it??

Hope it wasn't boring...not too much happened between Sakura and Sasuke this chapter. But...I promise it'll get better!

And again...Sasuke wasn't too OOC, was he? Ha, sorry, I'll probably ask this every time...

Please tell me any opinions and suggestions you have, I'd love to hear them!

And I'll try to update every week, but when school starts...I don't know if I can... :(

Anyways, TTFN :)


	3. Chapter 3

Black Coffee

Hello, readers!

Thank you for waiting...it was a long week, and I was distracted, but I finally got to the writing.

By the way...has anyone seen the Simpsons Movie? OMG, it's hilarious!

Anyways, I'm so thankful to all the reviewers! It's so nice of you guys to take the time and write me reviews.

**To Arcaina: **I love your idea, it's adorable! Do you mind if I use it in a later chapter?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I would love to...but no.

So, here's chapter 3...Enjoy!

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Over the next few weeks, Naruto often came with Sasuke to the café, eating sweets and talking while his quiet counterpart sat there drinking coffee and reading. Naruto was always sociable, carrying on a conversation with him wasn't all that hard. Soon, I started him considering him a friend.

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"Hey, Sakura...where's the pretty boy and his posse today?" Tenten asked, after take a sip of her espresso.

"There's a _posse?!_" a voice yelled before I could answer, its owner popping out of nowhere, making Tenten choke on her drink. For someone who wore five-inch stilettos, she sure was stealthy.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Yes, Ino. There's four of them."

"_FOUR?!_" she screeched, loud enough for all the dead emperors of China to hear.

Tenten and I nodded, trying to recover our hearings; while Ino blushed and giggled maniacally, no doubt picturing something dirty.

"I think we lost her..." I heard the brunette say, and from the looks of things, I agreed with her.

When my platinum-blonde friend finally decided to stop dreaming about...whatever, she invited both of us to a girls' night out.

"I need a dress, so we're going shopping this weekened!" she announced loudly.

"_You_. Need. A. _Dress_?" Tenten asked, incredulous, "What happened to the other 5000, princess?"

I snorted, and Ino pouted.

"What's the occasion anyways?" I asked, half-expecting her to say "going outside".

She shrugged, "A wedding, the Hyuuga heiress is marrying some silly moron. And the Hyuugas are my dad's business partners, so I was invited, too."

"Lucky you." Tenten muttered dryly, and I wondered why she was so bitter all of a sudden.

"Sorry, I can't bring guests," Ino assumed that was the problem, "Not even a date." She scoffed then.

"Wow. That must be killing you." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, shut up." she slapped my arm half-heartedly, reaching across the counter.

For the next while, the blonde went on and on about designer dresses, new shoes, and sparkling jewelry like there was no tomorrow. It seemed like she was the one getting married, but that idea was silly, she wasn't likely to settle down any time soon. Or ever.

After Ino finished a particularly horrifying story about being seen wearing last season's shoes, Sasuke Uchiha walked in, taking the meaning of "tall, dark, and handsome" to a whole new, glorious level. Behind him, a now-familiar blonde young man walked in with a goofy grin on his face.

"HI SAKURA-CHAN!" he called loudly, earning a glare from the man beside him.

I flinched and waved back weakly, knowing that people were staring. Ignoring the eyes that were on them, the two men walked over to Sasuke's usual table and sat down, with Naruto chatting animatedly about something, and his friend reading another book.

Ino struck my arm again, telling me to get over there, while Tenten laughed at the expense of my dumbstruck face.

"Hi," I smiled, feeling at ease in Naruto's presence, "What can I get you today?"

An uninterested "the usual" from Sasuke meant black coffee, while Naruto asked for one of every kind of cookie.

"Um...Right." I said as I left them to their one-sided conversation.

"Who's the new guy?" back at the counter, Ino asked, having never seen the other blonde before.

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki." I mumbled while getting said man's cookies, thinking I was going to need a big plate.

"Ooh, he's cute, isn't he?" she gushed.

"Eh, I guess." Tenten half-agreed.

I sighed, "Well, I'm gonna go bring King Cookie his royal subjects, be right back..."

Naruto drooled when he saw how many cookies there were, he thanked me (loudly), but as I set them down, I felt someone staring. Hesitantly, I turned to see a pair of midnight eyes boring into me, slight amusement danced in his eyes.

He spoke in a hypnotizing voice, whether he meant to or not, "Where's my coffee?"

My eyes grew wide with realization as a small smirk graced his angelic features. I mentally slapped myself for forgetting, while a blush crawled up to my cheeks.

"I-I'm so sorry!" I bowed apologetically, "I'll get it right away."

I practically ran back to Tenten and Ino, drowning in embarrassment. Why, oh why did I have such pitiful memory?

I groaned, enduring my friends' teasing as I poured the dark liquid into a cup. I rushed over to their table, surprising myself by not finding something to trip over. Naruto was still chattering, but now with cookies in his mouth, and remnants flew everywhere from his mouth. Meanwhile, Sasuke made no attempt to hide how disgusted he was. He did, however, hide his face behind his book whenever an occasional crumb went anywhere near him.

"Here, I'm sorry I forgot." I said, setting down the coffee as I tried not to laugh at the boy-ish blonde.

"Hn." was the only sound that came from him.

"HMRRFGH! SHAKUWA!" I heard Naruto yell.

"Y-yes?" I turned to him.

Naruto finally swallowed his current mouthful and said, "Wanna come to my wedding?"

"W-Wedding? Y-Yours?!" I was completely shocked. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd want a marriage at all, and he never mentioned a fiancé before.

"Mm-hmm." he nodded, "Please?"

"Well, I..."

"PLEEEEASE?" he pleaded again, "you're my friend, right?"

"Well, y-yeah, but..." I mumbled, still unsure.

"YAY!" he exclaimed, ecstatic, and shoved a pink envelope in my hand.

"Thanks." I finally gave up.

"You can bring your friends if you'd like." he said, grinning toothily.

I opened the envelope. And on the top of the invitation, it read: _Uzumaki-Hyuuga_ _Wedding._

And just like that, Tenten, Ino, and I are going to the wedding together. Well, now all three of us needed to get dresses.

------

I pouted and glared at the brunette, "Tell me, come _on!_"

"Well..." she muttered, still unsure, but at least I wore her down from a "no" in the last thirty minutes.

"Please?" I looked at her, puppy eyes sparkling.

"Ohh..." she groaned, torn between decisions, "but I..."

"_Tenten!_ Just tell...trust me." I pressed on.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" she said as I tasted sweet victory.

"Oh!" I was delighted, "Yes! I swear on my mother's g– "

"Ok, ok! I'll tell! You don't have to do that."

"Yay!" I practically jumped with joy.

"Alright," she sighed, preparing herself as she sat down with me on the couch, I patiently waited, "so Neji and I...we go way back.

"It started when we were really little," she started out slow, "maybe three or four years old. He lived next door, and our parents were friends, so we were frequently thrown together while the adults talked. Pretty soon, we became great friends too. And after a few years, we were practically inseparable. He always defended me when I was bullied and stuff, and I would've done the same for him, but the boy never got bullied. I guess I kind of gradually became a tomboy from hanging with him so much.

"But then, when we were twelve, Neji's mother died of a disease. He became unbearably distant after that. Bad timing, too,"—She chuckled softly—"that when I started to hit puberty. Suddenly, all those feelings, you know, came, and out of nowhere, I started to find him attractive. It was just a silly crush back then, but he was so quiet all the time, it got frustrating, and my pubescent mood swings didn't exactly help. It was an awkward period of time, we never talked much.

"Eventually, he got over his mom's death, though he wasn't the same ever again. And I hid my feelings from him, afraid he might push me away if I showed any signs. I thought the feeling would go away if I ignored it, but as we grew older, it grew stronger."

There was a short pause, but after a moment, Tenten continued, spilling her soul out for me to see, "It grew so strong that it was impossible to ignore, or push away. Then, I finally realized that it wasn't hormones.

"Finally, when we were 16, I couldn't take it anymore. I knew I had to tell him, but I never got to. There were plenty of opportunities, but I always chickened out, I've never been so afraid in my life. And then, Neji's father died, leaving him all alone. After that, he shut himself away from the world, from me. And in a short while, he went to live with his uncle in another city."

By now, Tenten had her head in her hands, "I never got to see him again, until a few weeks ago when he came to the café. I guess his family moved again. And somehow, I immediately knew it was him..."

I stared at my friend, speechless, I've never seen her so vulnerable before. She was always tough, ever since we met in college. It was a little unsettling to see. I rubbed her back, trying to provide comfort and consolation, not knowing what to say.

When she lifted her head, I saw wet trails on her face. She leaned against my shoulder silently, letting tears fall freely as she slowly drifted to sleep.

------

We walked into the extravagant store, taking in its inventory. I didn't see the point of trying on anything here, it was so ridiculously expensive, that only Ino would've walked out of there without being bankrupt. But why spoil the fun? I saw Ino squeal happily as she pried around everywhere, trying to find her size. Even Tenten was looking, but then again, she had a way better job than me, working as a secretary.

I sighed, mind wandering to my new actual job that was going to start soon. I was going to be a teacher, it was exciting to think about. With the teaching job, I would only have to work at the café on weekends, which meant I wouldn't see Sasuke Uchiha as much...

"Hey! Sakura!" a voice snapped me out of it, "Look around, c'mon!"

"Uh...Right." I finally realized that I was just standing there.

I browsed through the selections, and found a few modest dresses with fairly reasonable price tags. Well, reasonable for this place, anyways. I didn't really plan to buy a dress here.

"Um..." I looked at Ino as she strutted out of the fitting room, in the eighth dress she took from the racks.

"Don't you think that's a bit..." Tenten continued.

"Oh, pish posh." she said giddily.

"But won't you...?" I was doubtful.

"Nah! Besides, why does the bride need to look the best? She ain't goin' home with any men but the one she's been with for the last 50 years."

There it was: Ino's view on commitment and marriage.

"Oh, I give up..." I muttered, she really did look beautiful. A tiny bit indecent for a wedding, but beautiful nonetheless.

The dress was a halter, it was red and skin-tight, showing of every bit of curve she had. And oh, the best part was— it ended in mid-thigh.

"But still...it's a wedding!" Tenten nagged, having found her voice "That's totally— "

"Oh, fine!" she threw her hands up in the air, "I'll get the navy blue one!"

Suddenly, the blonde spotted something, gasping happily, she quickly ran over to whatever she saw. When she came back, she held another dress on her arm.

Tenten was clearly annoyed, "I thought you decided?"

"Oh, it's not for me," she said, smirking, and I suddenly felt ominous, "It's for her!" and she pointed straight at me.

I never had time to protest as she pushed the formalwear into my arms and shut me in a changing room. In the small space, I looked at the dress front and back. And cringed.

"You ain't coming out of there until you got that thing on, Haruno!" I heard Ino shout.

Well, might as humor her, I thought as I reluctantly put on the dress, with much difficulty, I might add. _Ino and her taste_... I sighed.

They stood up, both of them, and gawked when I walked out.

"What?" I asked, feeling even more embarrassed.

"WOW..." was the only sound that came out of Tenten.

"Yes! I knew it!" I heard Ino squeal as shock wore off. Although, shock from what, I wasn't sure of.

"Knew what?" I asked, still thoroughly confused.

Shaking their heads, my friends turned me to face the huge mirror.

"Oh..." I gasped, "I...like it...I actually like it..."

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

Hope that was good!

Whew! Writing this chapter was hard, because it's really important. I even had writer's block. But now, the story can finally pick up momentum! Yay!

Anyways, please give me any suggestions and opinions you have! I love hearing feedback from readers! It makes me feel special! xD

So, that's it for now, bye!


	4. Chapter 4

1Black Coffee

Hi, people!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you like reading it too.

Also, I wanna say thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love hearing feedbacks!

**To Arcaina: **Thanks, but would it be okay for me to make some changes?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. If I did, I'd be rich.

Well, let's get on with the story...

------

I stared at the full-length mirror in Ino's room as she high-fived Tenten.

My hair was done up in a wonderful terra twist, courtesy of the brunette. Several layers of mascara coated my eyelashes, as black subtly lined my eyes, and sparkling pink covered my lips.

I looked at the wondrous, pale green, silk gown Ino picked out for me, still pondering on if I could actually get away with it.

The dress was low-cut, with spaghetti straps, a strand of ruffles adorned the very top, making sure everyone would look at my pitiful cleavage. On the left side, an opening ran from the bottom of my bust to my hips. In a darker shade of green, another band of silk wrapped around my waist. Although the cool, smooth fabric from there flowed to my ankles, there was a slit on the left side, located at my upper thigh, which would most definitely show my legs whenever I walked. And as if that wasn't revealing enough, there was a huge, V-shaped split on the back, ending just before my spine did, leaving my backside practically bare.

Sensing my doubt, Ino said, "Don't worry, it's totally decent! Besides, now everyone will finally know you actually have boobs."

"Thanks..." I muttered darkly before elbowing her.

Tenten laughed lightly while fixing her dress: pale pink, with black lace on top, and a black ribbon tied around her waist. It was cute.

Ino glared at me before going to check herself out in the mirror. The navy blue dress was a halter, and fitted her just as well as the red one, but it was more modest. At least the fabric reached the knees.

"Well," Tenten glanced at the clock, "Time to go."

Six stiletto-clad feet clicked their way to a limosine waiting outside.

------

As soon as we stepped in the room, all eyes looked in our direction. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious, as I realized more people were looking at _me, _specifically. My mind reeled: Ino was prettier, why would they look at me? Then, a small voice nagged.

_Hello? Pink hair!_

But the appreciative looks from men told a different story. Did I really look that good? I've never gotten so much attention in my life. I mean, even Sasuke Uchiha turned his head in my direction, scrutinizing my every—

_WHOA. What's he doing here?_

Then, I almost slapped my self when I realized: he _was _Naruto's best friend, of course he'd be here! Surely, by the time I stated the obvious to myself, he already looked away, walking off in some random direction.

I sat down with Tenten while Ino, being the social butterfly she was, fluttered around to make conversation. I took in the grand room, astonished by the sheer number of people that showed up.

Eventually, everyone settled down as the ceremony began.

Pair by pair, the groomsmen and bridesmaids entered, walking up and taking their places on the altar.

Suddenly, Tenten tensed beside me as she saw something. I followed her gaze to see Neji Hyuuga up on the altar as one of the groomsmen. He was looking at her too, and the air between them was thick with tension. The brunette looked like she had difficulty breathing, but finally, he looked away, releasing Tenten from his hold. I put a hand on her shoulder to make sure she was ok. She turned to give me a sad, but reassuring smile.

Soon enough, the groom entered, ecstatic grin plastered on his face. I've never seen Naruto this happy, he was usually just high on sugar... he took his place on the altar, and waited.

Accompanied by The Wedding March, the blushing bride entered following a trail of flower petals. The young woman was absolutely beautiful; midnight-blue hair was done up in an elegant bun, and she had the same pale lavender eyes as her relatives. She wore the most ravishing wedding gown I've ever seen as she walked down the aisle.

Naruto, in reaction, gawked, his cerulean blue eyes shone with unshed tears. But the shocked expression turned serious as the bride's father handed her over.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began, getting all our attentions, "We are gathered here today to join these two in holy matrimony..."

The ceremony went fairly smoothly, after saying the "I do's" and exchanging wedding bands, it seemed like Naruto was just dying for the priest to say those words.

"You may now kiss the bride." the kind old man said.

Practically jumping with joy, the blonde brought his newlywed bride close and planted a big one, leaving her dazed for quite a while.

I giggled quietly at the scene, it was just so sweet.

------

The dance floor was open as soon as the bride and the groom had their first dance, which was quite eventful, as Naruto kept stepping on the poor girl's toes while they swayed to the music.

As Ino walked off and dragged the first guy she saw to the dance floor, I was left alone with Tenten.

"You know..." I said to her, after rejecting yet another invitation to dance, "You should go talk to him."

"To who?" Tenten asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know who," I said, "you think I didn't see you two looking at each other?"

She twitched, and I pressed on, "Just _go, _he obviously recognized you, and if—"

"Tenten?" a deep voice spoke. I froze mid-sentence, and turned to see none other than the subject of our conversation.

"Uh..." was all the girl could manage as her eyes widened.

Nobody spoke for quite a while, and if it wasn't for the music, we'd all hear crickets chirp.

"So, Tenten," I began, breaking into the awkwardness and flashing her a smile, "I'll see you later!"

"Wait–" she started to say, but oh, I have already made my clever escape, walking off in the general direction of the bathrooms.

A slow song began to play then, and the dance floor was gradually occupied with more and more people, steadily swaying to the music, holding their partners close. Within the crowd of dancing couples, I spotted dark, spiky hair— Sasuke Uchiha.

However, he didn't seem to be doing any dancing. In fact, he was trying to get away from it, or at least that mass of (single) women following him. He slightly scowled as he saw how many of them there were, and quickened his pace. I chuckled quietly to myself, the man really was too pretty for his own good. All of a sudden, though, he seemed to have disappeared. But how he managed it, I didn't know.

Out of nowhere, a strong hand grabbed my waist from behind and spun me around. Within seconds, I was pressed up against a warm body, which smelled _damn _good, as who-ever-it-was rocked with me to the music. I had no idea who the stranger was, until a head rested itself on the crook of my neck. I immediately recognized the jet-black hair that somewhat defied gravity.

"Um..." I was searching my head for coherent words, "U-Uchiha-san...?"

"Are they gone yet?" he asked, his face still buried against my neck, hot breath attacking my collarbone.

"Who?"

"Those annoying women." he grumbled, and I realized then that this was the only reason he was dancing with me. He was using me as an escape. But then, what did I expect?

Somewhat disappointed, I scanned around the large dance hall, looking for "those annoying women" without finding any. I did, however, finally become extremely aware of several things; the first was the undeniable proximity of our bodies, the second was that every time he blinked, I could feel those long, feathery eyelashes brush against the side of my neck, and the third— which was slowly driving me crazy— was his hands that were pressed against the skin on my almost naked back.

"So?" an impatient voice snapped me out of a trance I didn't know I was in.

"O-Oh...uh..." what were we talking about again? Oh right, "y-yeah, they're gone..."

I felt him let out a small sigh of relief as he straightened up, making it at least a little easier to think. I expected him to let go, but he didn't—just in case those women came back, I guessed.

Realizing that my hands were still in an awkward position, wedged between our chests, I slowly and shyly slipped them around his neck.

When he tensed at my action, I asked cautiously, biting into my lower lip, "D-Do you mind?"

"Hn." was his calm reply, as he soon relaxed.

Now, we were just a fewl layers of fabric away from being skin-to-skin, with my chin hovering just above his shoulder, and his mouth right beside my ear. This little fact, combined with his scent and the hypnotic movement of our bodies sent more than one shiver running up and down my spine. If I thought it was hard to breath before, I was in for now.

"S-So..." I started, desperately trying to take my mind off the current...situation, "You s-seem t-to be...popular."

He chuckled humorlessly before replying in that smooth voice of his, "So do you."

I blushed, "I-It's not _me..._" I mumbled with embarrassment, "It...it's this dress..."

"Hmph. You are clueless." he muttered with what sounded like distaste.

But before I could ask him what he meant, the song faded out, and his hold on me instantly loosened.

"So," I said as I let go as well, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, at the café?"

He smirked at me then, "Not quite."

When I looked at him questioningly, he explained simply, "Business trip."

"Oh...how long?" I asked curiously.

"Two weeks." The amused expression disappeared, replaced by a weary one.

Without uttering another word, he turned around and walked off the dance floor, leaving me there in a daze. I trembled, all of a sudden noticing how cold it was without his body, his hands, his breath... How could any man be that attractive? It just wasn't fair, he probably wasn't even aware how close I came to insanity under his touch.

_OK, so maybe it's a bit more than a little tiny crush..._

But it couldn't be love. Right?

------

I raised an eyebrow at Tenten, who floated into the room, head up in cloud nine. I noted that she'd been like this since we left the wedding reception, it was time to snap her back to reality.

"Tenten!" I suddenly yelled.

It worked, she looked around frantically, "What? Where? When?"

"So, now that I finally have your attention," I started, "What exactly happened?"

She beamed at me, saying, "Well, we talked, about stuff..."

"That's it?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"And..." at this point, she finally let out all her excitement, "We're having dinner together!"

I gasped with delight, "A date?"

"No, not exactly..." she calmed down, "Just to, you know, catch up I guess..."

"Oh...but you are going to tell him, aren't you?"

She groaned, "But what if it gets awkward?...I just got him back into my life, I don't want to lose him again..."

"But...you used to like him..." I speculated, "you don't like him anymore..."

She blushed, and I noticed.

"You still like him?!" I shrieked.

Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Wow...then you should definitely tell him."

"But that can destroy everything..." she said sadly.

"Or make everything better, right?" I retorted.

She looked at me, and I continued, "Maybe he feels the same."

"I really don't think..."

"But don't you want to find out?" I asked desperately.

She considered this for a moment, and finally sighed, and nodded again.

"I want to find out." she said, back to her tough, determined self.

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

Hope you likee :)

Hope that wasn't too fast, but I had to move the story along.

**Sakura's Dress: **for anyone who wanted to see what it actually looks like...I drew it. But I didn't have a scanner, so I just took a picture of the drawing with my webcam, so here it is... **http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/8148/webcam200708131356lz8.png**

Please let me know if you thought if anyone was OOC, I really tried hard to keep everyone in character...

And as always, opinions and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Well, see ya next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Black Coffee

I am SO SORRY this is late...I hit a bad writer's block...I'm really, really, really sorry for taking so long for this update and making you wait..

This is the last update before school starts. And again, I don't really know if I'll be able to update weekly. I have no idea what to expect for grade 9.

To the reviewers: I can't thank you enough for your support! It really cheers me up when I read your reviews. And...I already have 100...wow!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. What a depressing thought...

So, without further ado...

------

I sighed as I walked out the backdoor of the café, locking it behind me. Part of me actually still expected him to walk in with a book in hand today. How stupid—it wasn't like I didn't know he wouldn't be here.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, I arrived back in an empty apartment. And while looking around for any sign of Tenten, I mentally smacked myself for forgetting that tonight was her "date" with one Neji Hyuuga.

Great. Just great. Meanwhile, Ino was probably in a bar picking up a random good-looking guy, and Naruto was on his romantic honeymoon with new wife, most likely getting laid right about now. This was seriously depressing, making me wonder once again, was I the only one on the planet without a love life?

And the mocking tick-tock of our clock answered that yes, I was.

Ugh, this calls for the big bucket of chocolate ice-cream in our freezer.

So, it was no surprise I was found on the couch licking the sweet substance off a spoon when Tenten practically flew into the room. Yes, _flew._

I looked at her suspiciously, what the hell happened to Tenten, the smart, logical, tough girl? Is this what love did to people? Geez.

Noticing me, she looked, taken aback, "Did you get dumped or something?"

"Yes," I muttered grumpily, "by my non-existent boyfriend."

"Oh..." she groaned, "Not this again..."

"I take it that the date went well." I said, directing the conversation away from my current misery.

"Yes!" she beamed, radiating happiness.

"So, what happened? Did you tell him?" I asked.

She nodded yes, unable to wipe that smile off her face, "Though it was a big challenge, I bit my tongue so many times it wasn't even funny."

"What was the reaction?"

"Well, he was surprised at first, and it got really quiet. I was ready to, you know" –she cringed– "cry, and then change my name and move to another planet. But he didn't reject me, he..."

"He what?" I pressed on impatiently.

"He..." she bit her lower lip, and then shouted "asked me to be his girlfriend!"

I gasped in delight,"That's great!"

Her grin widened.

"But, wow...it's so sudden." I said.

"I know," Tenten agreed, "I was a little shocked, too. But who cares, right? I think I've been wanting this since I was twelve."

"Right." I smiled with her, at least someone was happy...

------

I woke up groggily, not welcoming the sunlight that intruded my eyes. After countless mornings like this, I decided that I was in fact, _not_ a morning person. But I was going to have to get up either way, there was work to be done, money to be earned. After all, even rich men like Sasuke Uch—

_Dammit, why can't I go a day without thinking of him?_

Ah yes, the god walking amongst mortals known as Sasuke Uchiha, still not back from his business trip.But hey, life went on, he wasn't _that _important, he was just very, _very_ easy on the eyes.

Or so I told myself.

Anyway, work was as dull as ever, and I found myself people-watching when I wasn't serving customers. And definitely _not _thinking of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sakura?" it was Ino's voice, she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

I looked up to see her...with another man on her arms, and my jaws dropped. Okay, I didn't usually gawk at Ino's boy-toys(much), but this one looked disturbingly similar to _him(_you know who...)Everything was alike except for the hair—this man's black locks were close-trimmed.

"This is Sai." she introduced, the tall man beside her offered a smile that was obviously fake.

And he _smiled. _It was like a cloning experiment gone wrong.

"Hey there, I'm Sakura." I greeted nervously.

"You know Sasuke Uchiha, don't you?" he asked.

"They're cousins!" Ino chimed in cheerfully.

"Eh? Well, not really...he just comes here often." I answered. It was true—I didn't know him at all.

"Yes, you do!" Ino accused, "Don't think I didn't see you two gettin' grope-y at the reception!"

My cheeks colored at that statement, because: 1) I didn't think anyone saw, 2) it was _not _groping, and 3) Ino had never been able to grasp the concept of "indoor voice".

"That wasn't it!" I protested, "We were just—"

"Sure, whatever..." she waved it off lazily, "well, we're gonna go...see ya."

"But it_ wasn't_... "I grumbled to myself.

"It was nice meeting you." he said, accompanying the sentence with another false grin before walking out with Ino.

_Weird._

However, it was about to get weirder. When a couple walked in and settled down at a table, I walked out from behind the counter and strode towards them. I wa_s almost there, _but _noo_, my freakish curse of clumsiness decided to burst into full effect, and I found myself getting closer and closer to the floor (at least there wasn't coffee in my hand), that's when a hand caught me.

How cliche; still, at least my head didn't crack open like a watermelon. I looked up to see my knight in shining—was that _green **spandex**_?

Straightening up and smoothing out my clothes, I thanked him. Green spandex or not...

"It was no problem, my beautiful blossom. It would not have been very youthful if you hurt yourself." the man said in response.

_Who talks like that?_ I thought, before I got a good look at his face.

The guy was sporting a bowl-cut. Yes, a real-live, honest-to-God _bowl-cut_. His black, round eyes sat under what had to be the bushiest pair of eyebrows in history. Tweezers wouldn't do any good there, though a lawnmower might...and no, I was _not _exaggerating(maybe a little?).

And then I noticed, on his face, staining his cheeks, was a blush. Why would he be blushing? He was the one who humiliated himself.

"My name is Rock Lee." he introduced.

"Oh, hey...I'm Sakura." I said awkwardly.

"Sakura-san, your name is as lovely, truly befitting of your beauty."

"Uh...thanks?" I looked at him, slightly disturbed.

"Oh, please, Sakura-san, I would very much like to accompany you to dinner."

There was silence, and then, "WHAT?!"

I couldn't believe it, a stranger had just asked me out...I don't think this had ever happened to me before.

So why now? Why him? Why, oh why couldn't it have been—

_Do _not _say Sasuke Uchiha._

—...someone else?

There I was, standing in front of a man I barely knew, what was I supposed to say?

"Uh...I'm sorry, I...um...I can't."

The funny thing was, he didn't even look disappointed, "I see. But my youthful lady, do not think that I am giving up on your hand. I shall try my hardest to earn you affections."

"That's...ah..."

"Fair well, my beautiful blossom." he said before blowing me a kiss, and then he left.

I was still shuddering and twitching when Tenten came.

Over her usual espresso, I told her the story, "...and he was calling me 'beautiful blossom', and he used the word 'youthful' like, 10 times! And did I mention his eyebrows? Ugh..."

At my rambling, the brunette snorted and said, "He seems nice."

I glared at her, "Yeah...nice..."

"I'm just saying," she started, "he seems harmless, a little weird, mind you, but he wouldn't hurt you. He really does sound like a good guy."

"No! I mean, I don't even like him," I made a face, "is that supposed to be, I dunno, _important_?"

Tenten sighed, "Yes, but maybe that'll come later."

I cringed, muttering, "Not likely."

"Oh, come on," she encouraged, "give him a chance...what's the worst that can happen?"

"Well, his eyebrows could eat me."

She rolled her eyes at me, "Weren't you the one wanting a boyfriend?"

_Ouch_.

------

Lee kept his word, he showed up quite a few times at the café after we met, looking for me. When he found me, we would talk for a while before he ruined it by asking me out. But, whether I liked it or not, he was kind of wearing me down, he sure was persistent. Obviously, he had patience, and he was nice, maybe that was enough? Besides, I learned quite a few things about him, so he wasn't such a stranger anymore.

Saying yes wouldn't be _so_ bad, would it?

_Maybe not...but..._

"Good evening, Sakura-san." the now-familiar voice made me look up.

And see bouquet of beautiful flowers, "Oh, wow...is that for me?"

"Yes, my cherry blossom. I would, again, like to ask you to accompany on a date."

"Um..." what harm would it do? I mean, it's just one date, I could back out if I didn't like him, "Alright..."

"Please." he said, "just—wait, you said yes?"

Biting my lower lip, I nodded hesitantly.

At that, he jumped with joy, "Woohoo! I must tell Gai-sensei! Goodbye, my youthful lady of spring!"

He rushed out after that. Now that Lee was gone, I stared at the flowers and groaned.

_What. Did. I. Just. Do?_

He honestly liked me, and I just...wasn't that something like, toying with his feelings? I mean, I still didn't feel any sparks, or butterflies, or anything close to liking. Then again...maybe it will change after this date, though I was feeling doubtful.

And what about my bit-more-than-little-tiny-crush on Sasuke Uchiha? I mean, he was _definitely _not easy to forget. Speaking of which, he was supposed to be back today, but was he going to show?

It was nearly closing time, and the café was empty, maybe he wouldn't be here. I mean, he could be really, really tired, or he just didn't want to come here anymore— this wasn't exactly the most elegant part of town. In fact, there was a _bar _farther down the street.

Hey, maybe I could drown my problems in alcohol...

Sighing heavily, I closed down the building, wondering where the boss lady had disappeared to. When I got out the back door, I walked towards the bar without a second thought. What was there to think about?

On my way there, someone walked out the building and past me with a slight stumble, I would have ignored them if I didn't immediately recognize the spiky black hair. I turned just in time to see him lean on the nearest wall for support.

"Uchiha-san, are you alright?" I asked with concern, walking towards him.

He looked at me through half-lidded black eyes and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Just how drunk was he? What was I supposed to do? He seemed to have difficulty even when walking. Maybe I should take him back to my apartment? But then, he was practically a stranger, even though I saw him pretty much everyday. Although calling him a cab was out of question, because I didn't even know where he lived, and from the looks of it, he didn't either at the moment. I couldn't just leave him there...

Letting out another sigh, I started to put his hand over my shoulder as I put my other hand around his waist.

This was going to be one hell of a walk...but at least he wasn't unconscious—that would have forced me to drag him back.

------

"Finally..." I panted as I opened the door to a surprisingly empty living room, Tenten didn't sleep this early though.But then, she did say something about a date with Neji Hyuuga this morning.

Sasuke Uchiha was still awake, he took in his surroundings with droopy eyelids and looked at me again. With my last strengthI walked him over to the couch and sat him down.

"Well, I suppose I should get you some water..." I said as I headed to the kitchen.

But his hand grabbed mine, making me look back, "Uchi— "

Lazily, he pulled me down across his lap, making me squeak in surprise. I was unbearabl_y _close to him now, my mind was racing along with my pulse.

"Wh-wh-what...?" was all I managed to get out.

With one hand draped across my lap, he nuzzled his face against my neck and let out a quiet groan. I would have never pecked Sasuke Uchiha as the affectionate type; but then, he was in a drunken confusion and probably had no idea what in the world he was doing. And whom he was doing this to. At that thought, I felt unreasonably disappointed.

_So what if he doesn't know? He's drunk, I should stop this before—_

"Sakura..." he drawled sleepily, and I flustered.

"I...I think..." I breathed shakily, trying to piece words together as he slowly ran one of his hands up and down my back.

Meanwhile, he deliberately lifted his head a little, tracing my jaw line with the tip of his nose, making me whimper at the contact.

Then, everything abruptly stopped; his hand fell to his side as his head dropped onto my shoulder. The gentle, even breathing against my neck indicated that he was asleep.

_Oh boy...did that just happen?_

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

Hope that was good for ya :)

Okay, so...OOC-ness? I think so! I mean, Sasuke was drunk...I even researched for this, his behaviors were classified as confusion.

Anyways, please tell me what you think! And also **VOTE: **Does Sasuke live in a mansion, or in a penthouse? And say why if you can, please.

(I like the penthouse...but that's just me...haha :P)

So, see ya next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Black Coffee

Hey, dear readers! I finally got around to updating! This chapter may not be the longest, but it did take a while.

And whoo! High school was definitely harder than elementary...I got pretty lost on the first day. Also, my math teacher is an ignorant bitch...

On a much brighter note, 50 reviews for one chapter! It's a new record for me! Wow! Thank you SOO MUCH for the support! HUGS AND KISSES FOR ALL(who want them...)! XD

**About the voting: **A majority seem to be leaning towards the penthouse, so I guess that's it! Although, Sasuke's bachelor pad (xP) doesn't appear in this chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I _could_ if I ever win the lottery...but mommy says not to gamble. xP

Anyhoo, enjoy :D

------

When I opened my eyes in the morning, the only thought going through my head was that I needed darker curtains. But hey, at least it was my day off, though my date with what's-his-face was today. Only when I stepped out of the shower, fully awake, did I remember one tiny, insignificant detail: Sasuke Uchiha was asleep on my couch.

_Holy crap._

Hastily throwing a towel over myself, I sprinted out to the livingroom. A big sigh of relief found its way out as I discovered him still on the couch, eyes closed and breathing even. Surprisingly, even when Tenten got home last night, half-yelling at me for bringing "strangers" home while peeling his motionless form off me, he never woke up. Boy, he must've had a lot to—

"Hmmm..." was the sound of pure bliss that interrupted my train of thoughts, and the sound came from the sex god that was sprawled out in front of me.

_Wonder what he's dreaming about? _I thought as I studied him.

Quietly, my feet strode towards him, stopping before the couch. From that close distance, as I took in his marvelous features, my heart fluttered, and my cheeks reddened. It was ridiculous! He wasn't even awake, and he was doing this to me. Why? My head kept asking, but it seemed like nothing else in my body was responding. Instead, a hand reached down, _my _hand, running an index finger down his cheek. The smooth texture of his skin was sending electric shocks through my blood, but oh, how I loved it.

Then, the worst thing possible happened: he moved. A big hand grabbed the one currently caressing his face, and pulled.

_Uh oh—_that was the last thought in my head before I ended up on top of him, his chest rising and falling beneath my head.

_OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD_..._is he awake?_

Determined to make the movement as minute as possible, I cautiously lifted my head to peek at his face to find the eyes still shut. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and started to (very reluctantly) climb off him. However, the weight I felt on the small of my back was stopping me. It was his hand. Dammit! The man was clingy in his sleep.

I began to panic, no way was I going to let Sasuke Uchiha wake up to find me half naked lying on top of him. At least Tenten was already at work today— she was definitely not going to leave his pretty face unscathed if she found us like this.

Carefully, I reached for his hand, grabbed it, and placed it at his side. And then, lifting myself up, I climbed off him swiftly. Everything would've gone perfectly, if I wasn't such a klutz. I almost fell off the couch as I was making my daring escape, so, in an attempt to save myself the pain, I grabbed a random handful of his shirt. This move, though, took him down with me. Who knew the man was so...flop-ish(xD)?

If I was panicking before, I was in absolute hysterics now. I mean, if someone said three years before today that one morning, I would find my naked self sandwiched between a spread-out towel and the most beautiful human being on earth, I would've slapped them silly. But not anymore...

In a pathetic attempt to save my dignity, I tried to wriggle myself free, but froze when I heard a pained groan above me. The pressure on my upper body lifted, and then the lower was free too as he stood up.

_Oh, _**now **_he wakes up!_

"Agh...What the hell?" I heard him growl, eyes squinting at the light.

Taking this as my last chance, I urgently grabbed the towel, wrapped it around myself, and stood up quickly. Sasuke Uchiha was clutching his head, grumbling incoherent things at no particular person.

First things first; I ran to the kitchen for a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water.

"Here," I said as handed them to him, "and sit down, that might help."

When he wasn't seeing stars anymore, he finally turned his head towards me with a raised brow.

"Mind telling me exactly how I ended up _here?_" having recovered his rich, smooth voice, he released its evil powers on me.

"O-Ohh...um, I was getting off work yesterday, and I...I found you on the street, and you were really drunk," I babbled, "and I didn't know what to do...so, yeah..."

His eyes caught mine, surely searching for any lies. And when he was done with that, the interrogation continued.

"Did anything happen?" his eyebrows creased, trying to remember last night himself.

My face immediately grew hot at the question, _oh yeah, we were having a pretty damn good grope-fest, but you fell asleep before it got anywhere._

But of course, for his and my sake, I didn't say that out loud, I just shook my head, "When we...when we got here, you-you pretty much just fell asleep on the couch."

"Okay..." he considered this for a moment and then asked, "how did I end up on the floor then?"

My mind frantically searched for a logical answer, "You...you fell off!"

_Duh! _That should've come up sooner, but it was just hard to think clearly around him.

"Aa." he simply said, "One last question."

"O...Okay." I shrugged. After all, how hard could it possibly be to answer—

"Why are you half-naked?" Sasuke Uchiha queried, the look in his eyes was one of pure amusement.

_GAH! Damn him and his superior observation skills..._

My face turned completely red, I mumbled, "W-welll...I-I took a shower, and then...I wanted to see if...if you were ok..."

"_That_ badly?" A smirk appeared.

"N-No! I-I mean...well...you see...it was like..."

Thank God, I was cut off by the sound of someone knocking.

"Oh!" I jumped up, "I should go answer!"

"Half-naked?" his tone of voice questioned my sanity.

_Does he _like _those two words or what?_

"W-Well..." I thought it couldn't be done, but my face grew redder.

"Go put some clothes on, I'll answer the door."

Obediently, I walked to my room. Once inside, I frantically searched for something nice to wear— something I haven't done in at least a year. Vaguely, I heard voices exchanging words outside, but I couldn't care less at that moment. In fact, not even that date with Lee seemed so important now that he was here.

_Wait a minute..._

_LEE?_!

Lunch date...with Lee...picking me up at twelve o'clock. Slowly, I turned my head to the digital clock on my night stand. 11:57, it read, mocking me. Geez, and I thought only the clock in the living room hated me...

Forgetting everything else, I sprinted out of my room to find him slamming the door shut in someone's face.

"Who was that?" I demanded urgently.

_Please be the mailman..._

"Rock Lee," and all hope was lost, "claims to be your boyfriend."

"WHAT?! HOW DARE HE!" I shouted.

"So, he's not your boyfriend?" Skeptical, Sasuke Uchiha asked.

"_Noo_...We're just..."

"Dating?" he finished, seeming bored.

"Not even...this was supposed to be the first date..._was._" I glared at him. Stupid, gorgeous bastard...

I mean, it wasn't like I was _dying _to go on that date, but what right did he have to have done that? And even if I didn't like the guy, at least I should've been the one to reject him.

"Hmm." he shrugged carelessly, leaning against the wall, "I thought you had more taste than _that._"

"He's..." I began to defend, but stopped to consider...

Sasuke Uchiha's one eyebrow raised again.

"Nice." I finished lamely.

He snorted, "Oh, is _that _what you like?"

For some reason, the question sent my blood boiling, "Yeah! What's wrong with that, anyways?! It's my life, why are _you _meddling with it?! You don't even know me!"

It was pretty much quiet after that, I glared at him, his face stayed indifferent. Unexpectedly though, an empty chuckle came moments later.

"Who said I meddled?" he smirked again with some emotion I couldn't place, "He's waiting for you downstairs."

"Wha...?" I was completely baffled.

"Well, I'm going." he said with finality, standing up away from the wall's support.

"Ah..."

"By the way," he started before walking out the door, "you're in your underwear— not so appropriate for a first date."

Blushing furiously, I tried to covered myself with my hands. The door clicked close, and I slowly slid down to the floor. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I sat there staring at the floor. I totally misunderstood him! I _yelled _at him...for no good reason! Who was I mad at anyways? I don't even like Lee! Why was I going out on a date with him?

The more questions I asked, the madder I was at myself, and the madder I got, the cloudier my mind became...

------

I only became aware of my surroundings when I heard the door open, and in walked Sasuke Uchiha.

"Wha...?" I looked up at him, rubbing my eyes.

He towered over my sitting form and took a good look at me, "Have you been like this since I left?"

"Huh...?" my eyes searched for the clock, 3:34, the stupid thing read, "...wait..."–gasp–"Lee!"

"He left," he answered absently, "you never even locked your door. What's wrong with you?"

Boy, he was uncharacteristically talkative today.

I groaned, "Oh no..." and then realized something, "Wait, what are you doing back here?"

"I left my jacket here." he shrugged.

"Oh..." well, what else did I expect?

Out of nowhere, I shivered, and it didn't go unnoticed, "You really should put some clothes on."

"Ah!" I cried, suddenly remembering I was only in my underwear.

As I stood up, I felt his eyes scrutinizing every detail of me, head-to-toe.

"...Excuse me." I said, turning red for what felt like at least the 10th time that day, and ran into my room.

Carelessly, I threw on a sweater and a pair of jeans and walked out. It seemed like a miracle that he was still there. I _was_ a little mean...

"Ah..." I began, "I'm really sorry about before...I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Hn," he shrugged it off, "why didn't you go?"

"Huh?" I was still slow, "oh, um, I didn't want to..."

"I thought you liked _nice boys._" the man said before smirking.

"But I don't _like_ him, I like _you_...and I've—" I gasped as the biggest, worst slip-up anyone could ever have in any lifetime sunk in.

_Did I just...?_

"Ah..." I managed,getting no particular reaction from him

_**OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGOD!!**_

"I-I think...I think...you should...go, now." tears were starting to form in the corners of my eyes.

There was still no response, and I dared not looking at his face as he strode out the door with that frustrating gracefulness of his.

I leaned against the wall for support, still in shock from what I had just done.

When Tenten got home, she was surprised to find me sitting in one particular corner of the livingroom and once again, licking chocolate ice cream off a spoon.

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

Did ya like it? Did ya? Did ya?

And again, OOC-ness? Please let me know...I'll be more careful if that's the case.

Also, comments and suggestions are LUUUFFED! x3

It's 11:15p.m. where I am now, and I really gotta go to sleep. And don't worry, it's not a school night, I'm just a little tired...

Guess that's it for now, nighty-night!


	7. Chapter 7

Black Coffee

Hey, readers!

I know I should have updated like, a YEAR ago... and I'm really sorry. I was gonna update last week, but some kind of a family crisis came up -sweat- sorry! I really am. -nervous laugh- PLEAS FORGIVE ME!

Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to review! It always instantly makes me feel better! I probably couldn't go on without your support. :)

Disclaimer: I disclaim any and all Naruto characters in this fiction.

So, here we go! (I'm hungry... -.-;)

------

"So...Let me get this straight," Tenten said, trying to hold in her laughs, "You confessed to him,"–I nodded–"_and _let him see your underwear?"

"No!" I protested indignantly, "I didn't _let _him! I told you, it just...happened!"

"Wow..." she said, chuckling, "poor him..."

"Poor _him??_" I exclaimed in a volume that would've made Ino proud, "POOR MEEE!"

"Ok, ok," Tenten was in a fit of laughter now, "but come on, he won't care..."

"But that's just it! When I said it, he didn't even do anything! I swear, I would've gotten more reaction if I proposed to a dead monkey!"

"Then forget about _him._"

"_That's_ easier said than done..." I pouted, "and even if he doesn't care, I'd still feel weird around him..."

"At least you're not going to see him everyday now..." she comforted, "that should make things less awkward."

My eyes lit up, "YES! I'm a teacher as of tomorrow!"

Tenten smacked her forehead, "How do you forget about _that?_"

"Well," I argued, "I've had...things...on my mind..."

Which was just a mild way of saying: Sasuke Uchiha has officially taken over my thoughts.

------

After straightening out my clothes, I took a deep breath and walked into the classroom. I was nervous, oh yes. But hey, they're just grade 2s...how harmful can they be? I mean, just look at those innocent eyes...

"Hello," I said, giving the children a smile, "I am Haruno-sensei."

"Good morning, Haruno-sensei." their cute little voices said in unison.

As the day went on, I was starting to love every minute of this. I was so occupied with them, I could hardly remember who the hell Sasuke Uchiha was. So what if he had the most amazing pair of eyes I'd ever seen? I mean, I am SOOO over him! It wasn't like I—

"Haruno-sensei?" a little girl tugged on my sleeve.

Oh, right...the children...oops.

"Yes?" I looked down at her, "What are you still doing here, Momoko-chan?"

"Well..." she twirled her pretty black hair around a finger shyly, "nii-chan's supposed to be here by now, but he's not..."

"Oh, that's alright," I reassured, "I'm sure he'll be here any minute."

"Ok." she smiled at me, adorable blue eyes twinkling.

And I smiled back, who could help it? It wasn't like I was a heartless and emotionless bas—

"Nii-chan!" her small voice exclaimed as someone walked in.

I looked up —worst mistake ever— and the classroom immediately felt small. So small it was hard to breath. (Guess who? Just guess...I dare you.)

Standing there, leaning against the wall of _my _classroom, was Sasuke Uchiha. "Nii-chan" is _Sasuke Uchiha_? Suddenly I had the urge to scream _WHY GOD, WHYY?!_ But, I didn't, I took a deep breath, and looked as if I totally did not just confess to him and show him my underwear the day before.

"Hello." I said, remaining calm.

"Hn." he sounded amused as he stared at me.

"Umm..." Momoko began, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Oh! Ok." I beamed at her.

_Wait...NOW I'M ALONE WITH HIM! Life's so unfair..._

"So..." I began, trying not to be awkward, "I didn't know you have a sister..."

"_Half-_sister." he corrected coldly, never taking his eyes off me.

But wait...what does that mean?! Geez, what a confusing person.

"I suppose you're not working at the café anymore." he suddenly said with a flat voice.

"Just on the weekends..." I answered, fidgeting all the while.

"Ok, nii-san. Let's go." the little girl walked in, and totally rescued me.

------

"Wow..." Tenten said, snickering, "He's everywhere!"

I groaned, "He really is..."

"But maybe it's just a one-time thing, you know..."

"But..." I made a childish, whiny sound, "I liked seeing him..."

"Aww, Sakura, you're so confused." she said, all mother-like.

"I really, really am..."

But as it turned out, she was wrong. Sasuke Uchiha showed up everyday, clad in business attire to pick up Momoko. But thankfully, there were no more bathroom breaks. So really, no conversation at all.

Which was good! I don't like him. Nope. Not one bit.

------

I looked at the ridiculous thing in front of me, "Why do we have to wear _this_?"

"Because," the boss lady said, "it's almost Halloween, and we have to get into the spirit."

"By dressing up like _this?!" _I whined, seemed like I did that a lot these days.

"You know, the other girls didn't have such a problem with this. Now stop complaining, and change into it!"

"B-B-Buh..."

"Sakura..." it was the "warning" voice.

"Ok, ok! I'll put on the stupid maid outfit!" I grabbed it and went into the staff bathroom to change.

"Oh, yes, Sakura! It'll look perfect on you!" I could hear the complete and utter excitement in her voice.

I looked at the mirror with disbelief...how unholy was I? The dress was black, it reached right above the knees, white ruffles adorned the hem. Around the waist, there was a white, frilly apron. Oh, and here's the kick in the pants—cat ears. Yep, life was sweet.

From, there, the day did not get better at all. The dress was extremely uncomfortable, the fishnet (FISHNET!) stockings were torture, and I slowly lost count of the number of perverts that tried to feel me up.

_Dammit, what _is _it with these men?_ I thought miserably, my temper becoming worse and my patience wearing thin.

That's when, of course, Sasuke Uchiha walked in, looking god damn perfect in every single way. But he didn't sit at his usual table. Instead, the bastard thought it might be fun to sit on the other side of the counter, right across from me. Oh, the humilation!

"Welcome back," I greeted before grinding out, "master."

One eyebrow raised in pure amusement, "Nice ears." he said.

"Thank you," I said through gritted teeth, "and what would you like today?"

"Black coffee, in case you've forgotten." he tilted his head, still watching me for entertainment.

"Coming right up." I answered, feeling that vein on my head getting bigger.

Even as I poured the coffee, I could feel his gaze...didn't he bring a book? Geez, what was so fascinating about me?

"Enjoy your coffee." I said, forcing a smile.

"Aa." was the simple response as he took out the book he carried, and finally started reading.

Now it was _my_ turn to stare. Well, not openly— just stealing glances here and there. It was stupid, wasn't I _just_ mad at him? The spoiled, arrogant, mean, stupid, gorgeous, intriguing, smart, perfect—

_INSULTS! We are _insulting _the guy._

Right...uh—

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" I heard a shrill voice yell from the door.

"Dammit," he growled, "of all the fucked up things..."

In seconds, a beautiful woman wearing glasses attached herself to him, flame-colored hair framing her face.

_Aww, what's this, his _girlfriend?!

"Get. Off. Me." I heard Sasuke Uchiha command.

"Aww," she cooed, "don't be such a stranger, Sasuke-kun."

"How the hell did you find me, Karin?" he was clearly annoyed.

"Well," she smirked, feigning interest in her nails, "Naruto can be very resourceful when threatened with the safety of his male body part..."

I kept my face down as I pretended to wipe one of the coffee cups, listening to their conversation. Of course, I wasn't supposed to, but hey, when given the opportunity...

"So, Sasuke-kun, you're going to that presidential ball in Paris on Monday, aren't you?"

"I have to." he said, sounding bitter.

_Dammit! How rich are these goddamn people?!_

"Why don't we go together?" the woman suggested, attempting to seduce.

"No." he dead-panned.

"But..." she said in disbelief, "you can't show up alone."

"Who said I was going alone?" he countered, and my ears immediately perked.

He had someone he would willingly go with? Since when?

"You...you have a date already?"

"Yes. So, go away."

"No!" she suddenly yelled, "I'm not leaving until I meet this precious date of yours!"

_Wow...I'd hate to be that poor girl..._I thought.

"Well, she's right here if you want to get acquainted." he stated matter-of-factly.

Wait..._who_? Right _where_? I looked up, curious— and instantly regretted it. Because the woman, Karin, was glaring holes through me.

"HER?!" she screamed, turning to Sasuke Uchiha, "I GOT REJECTED BECAUSE YOU PICKED THIS...THIS..._BIMBO_?!"

"You know..." he said slowly, eyes on the book, "You should really look in the mirror before you call someone else that."

"_AAAH_!" after a she turned back to me, "AND _YOU_! YOU JUST WAIT! DADDY WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

After that, she stormed out, stiletto-heeled boots stomping their way onto the street. Only then, did it finally register.

"_WHAT_?!" I exclaimed.

He shrugged, "You heard me."

"B-B-But...Why _me_?!" I demanded, confused and upset, "I'm sure there are more qualified women than _me_ to go to a _presidential ball _in _Paris!_ I have to _work_!"

"If that's your only excuse, then just take 3 days off."

"But— wait...THREE FRICKEN DAYS?!"

"Yes," he had the nerve to look calm, "we're leaving tomorrow afternoon, I'll pick you up."

"No! I'm _not_ going!"

"Yes. You are." he said with finality.

"_No._" I crossed my arms childishly.

"_Yes._" He hissed before throwing out a ten-dollar bill and leaving the café.

_Great! Well if Mr. Invited-to-Presidential-Ball says so..._

And then, I realized everyone in the room was staring at me.

------

"WOW! MY FAMILY DIDN'T EVEN GET INVITED!" Ino screamed, "YOU HAVE TO GO! WE ARE SOO GOING SHOPPING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!"

"Ino! You're missing the point!" I yelled.

"No, I'm not!" she said, "I can't help it if you need a dress."

"But I have one...WAIT! That is not it! I am just not going."

"You like him though, don't you?" Tenten butted in.

"_You're_ no help..." I muttered.

"C'mon! I just don't get why you're mad...most girls would die for something like this! It's _Paris!_" Tenten said, "You'd be helping him out. And just think! Of all the women he could have taken, he picked_ you_."

"Only because he had to, and I was the only one available at the moment..." I pouted.

Ino rolled her eyes, "Just _go..._" she whined and turned those treacherous puppy eyes on me, "for _us_?"

"Fu–" I took a breath in preparation for defeat, "fine..."

The blonde squealed excitedly, "YES!"

"I don't really _need _a new dress, do I?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, WOMAN?! IT'S THE _PRESIDENTIAL BALL_! _PRE. SI. DEN. TIAL_!"

Just like that, I was going to Paris...accompanied by a painful ringing in my ears.

------

After throwing my suitcase in the trunk, I got in the passenger seat, pouting.

"I'm going. But I won't enjoy it..." I muttered.

I could hear the smirk when he asked, "Still brooding?"

"_Yes_." I glared.

He just shrugged and looked at me, steering smoothly with one hand. I was fighting it, but there was no use, I was turning red again. Why _him_? Why can't I fall in lo— I mean, like a guy who's _not _a robot? Hey, wait a minute...if he's staring at _me_, then...

"The road! Pay attention to the road!"

------

"Tell me again why we're sharing a hotel room?" I pried after several torturous hours on a plane.

"Because everyone stays in the same hotel, and it just wouldn't look right if we stayed in separate rooms."

"You and your logical reasoning..." I grumbled.

"Well, if you _want_ Karin to come after you in your sleep..."

"Ok! Whatever you say." I shuddered at the image of Karin, her hair and eyes on fire.

Chuckling humorlessly, Sasuke Uchiha opened the door to our hotel room.

"...Whoa."

I took in the lavishly decorated room with amazement. Damn, rich people had it good; beyond the flowing red curtains, there was a balcony. By the curtains, there was a beautiful black four-poster canopy bed. Hold on...

"_One_ bed?! There's a plasma screen TV and a fireplace, but they can't put another bed in here?!"

I'm in some sort of a pickle, aren't I?

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

Hope you liked it...

Again...I am really, really, really sorry I updated so late. I promise it will never happen again! -cries and begs for mercy-

Ok, now I'm really starting to worry about the OOC-ness...pleas tell me if there was any.

Also, you all know how much I love comments and suggestions!

Well, that's about it for now. See you soon, Promise!


	8. Chapter 8

Black Coffee

Hi!

I'm SORRY! I know this isn't much earlier than the last update, but I've been trying so hard! Please forgive me!

Thanks a lot for reviewing! Haha, I love you guys so much...and thanks for staying my readers and waiting for my updates... -sigh- I owe you so much.

Disclaimer: I disclaim any and all Naruto character in this piece of fiction.

Anyways, here's chappie 8!

------

"I am NOT coming out!" I shouted stubbornly.

"Yes. You are." the flat voice on the other side of the locked bathroom door said.

"_No. _I'm _not._" I ground out, "Why do I have to go anyways?"

"That's what you're here for."

"But I have no interest in meeting other snooty rich bastards like you..." I whined.

I could hear him roll his eyes as he said, "Then why did you come in the first place?"

"You know...I'm beginning to wonder that myself."

"Wonder about it when we come back," he commanded, "for now, just stop being childish, and come out. I know you're ready."

"No I'm not," I argued, opening the door, "see? Still have to do my hair—"

Wait...door opened...WHY THE HELL DID YOU MAKE ME SO STUPID, GOD?! WHYY?

Still, the revelation was not the only thing that made me stop. It was _him, _stupid, jerkish, perfectly gorgeous _him._

_...how many times can you _say _gorgeous?_

It was frustrating, really, and stupid. I mean, just because the flawless ivory shirt under the tailored navy blue blazer was completely open, doesn't mean I had to get excited...but _boy_, was I excited. What I would ever do if I saw him half-naked (or even nude!), I didn't want to think about. For now, my heart was jumping up and down like a 10-year-old girl doing double-dutch, and my cheeks, well...they probably match my hair very nicely. What was wrong with me? I wasn't in high school anymore!

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sasuke Uchiha tilted head sideways and smirked, "What are _you_ looking at?"

"N-Nothing! I was just thinking what nice curtains we have." I lied. Badly.

An eyebrow was raised, "Right, the curtains."

"I _was!_"

He shrugged, "We have to go."

"But my hair..." I felt the pink strands, "and your sh-shirt...don't you have to, umm...c-close it?"

"That will take me all but 30 seconds in the limo." he replied, amused by my stuttering, I'm sure, "now put on. Your shoes. And let's go."

"But the—"

"You don't want to be _late _for the _presidential ball. _Do you, Haruno-_san_?" he bit out.

I didn't reply, just obediently put on the most uncomfortable pair of shoes in the world, and walked out behind him.

------

The orchestra played as people danced along or mingled, the scene was something out of a fairytale. Or at least, the gorgeous crystal chandelier was. I took in all of the grand room with wonder, while the man whose arm I held onto indifferently nodded to extremely rich-looking strangers that passed us.

"Why do I have to hold onto you?"I hissed under my breath.

He smirked, "You didn't seem to mind doing that at Naruto's wedding." the statement was muttered against my right ear.

"Y-You...you st-started it!" I argued, clearly flustered.

"What kind of childish logic is _that?_" he countered, finding entertainment in my embarrassment once again.

I didn't answer, just turned my face completely away from him and continued walking.

"Ah, _Monsieur_ Uchiha!" a man walked up to us, and Sasuke Uchiha nodded to him with more respect than I'd seen him show anyone.

The two men started a short conversation in a gibberish I can only assume to be French, before the other man turned his attention to me.

"_Et qui est cette jolie dame?"_ (1)

I just smiled and nodded, not knowing what in hell that meant. Although, _he _seemed to know, and responded again with amazing fluency.

When the man left, I demanded, "You speak French?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"So what did he say? How come he was looking at me?" I asked anxiously.

"Heh," he stopped to ponder wether to tell me or not, and finally said, "he said that I am a lucky man."

"_What?! _Why? Did you win the lottery? _That's_ why you're rich, isn't it?"

He rolled his eyes and answered, "Yes, I won the lottery. By the way, I am also a pirate."

I looked at him suspiciously, "something tells me you're lying..."

He didn't answer, just muttered something or another about "clueless" to himself.

"Sasuke-kun!" a voice called out. A voice, unfortunately, I recognized.

Karin was in a tight leather dress, the flame-like color engulfing her body and matching her hair. Stilettos clicked their way towards us as Sasuke Uchiha muttered a few very, _very_ colorful words under his breath.

"What do _you _want?" he half-growled.

"Oh come on, Sasuke-kun, why are so angry with me all the time?" she pouted.

"You. Know. Why." every syllable was telling her to leave.

But she didn't seem to get it, "Dance with me,'" she suggested to him, pretending I don't even exist.

The request was, expectedly, denied, "We're going." he said with finality as we turned around to leave.

Karin, though, being the gracious and nice person she was, reached out and grabbed his arm, the arm I was holding onto, pushing me out of the way. And she clung onto him like her miserable, stupid life depended on it, meanwhile throwing a smug glance in my direction. Why didn't he shake her off? I clenched my teeth, feeling unexplained tears sting my eyes. Why? What was the horrible feeling? I didn't know, and I wasted no time finding out. The next thing I did was as unbelievable to me as it was to anyone else.

My tulip-shaped wine glass was empty, the fine red wine that had been there seconds before was all over Karin's pale face. An ear-splitting scream followed, and I could have sworn I saw a red flash in her eyes, but I wasn't even scared.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled, "he doesn't even like you!"

"And you think _you're _precious to him?!" she shrieked at me, wild red hair surrounding a furious face, "_please._"

With what dignity she had left, Karin stormed off.

"Ugh..." I groaned, suddenly feeling miserable, "I need a drink..."

Wordlessly, he handed me his.

"Thanks." I muttered before taking it all in with one swig.

How many had it been? How many glasses had been emptied before all I saw was blurred shapes? And how many more had there been before everything started spinning? Before I saw nothing but pitch black?

------

Did I always awake with such a gigantic headache? I rubbed my eyes groggily, lifting my head up for a brief moment, and lied back down, finding the action too painful. I discovered something warm nearby, and natural instincts told me to cuddle up to it. Content again, I sighed and rubbed the warm object. What was it? A giant teddy bear? No...there was no fur. Oh well, who cares? It was comfy. I was just about to fall asleep when the warm thing moved to sit up, and then it sighed.

Of course, when it spoke, I slowly realized_ it_ was human, "Still asleep? Ugh, troublesome. Oh. Great. Now I sound like Nara."

Now, where have I heard that voice before? Rich and smooth like dark chocolate...

_HIM?!_

My eyes opened wide in panic...I just cuddled up to _Sasuke Uchiha?! _How awkward would it be if I got up right now? Oh, how awkward, indeed. Still, he was awake, couldn't he just push me off of him? He did sound pretty annoyed just now... and God knows what he'd think if he found out _I _was awake. Quickly, I closed my eyes and began feigning sleep. With another sigh, he lied back down, probably feeling tired, too.

Now, how could I inconspicuously let go? ...just roll over? No...that kind of makes it...weird. I would have probably been able to think more clearly, if my head wasn't hurting like a soccer ball that's been kicked out onto the road...and then run over...by a truck...full of potatoes. The point is: OW!

Out of the blue, I heard him chuckle, "You are going to have one hell of a hangover when you wake up." he mumbled, thinking I was asleep.

_Oh, don't worry, I already do! _I countered in my head.

Then, for no particular reason, a hand placed itself behind my head, its graceful fingers running through m_y _hair again and again in soothing motions. It felt so wonderful, spreading warmth within me from head to toe, like a great dream. Yet suddenly, the hand stopped, and the dream went blank too

I heard him growl softly, "What the fuck is _wrong_ with me?!"Sasuke Uchiha glared, I could feel the piercing stare, "Why do _you, _of all people, do this to me?"

_Do what?! _You're_ the one that drives me insane! In more ways imaginable!_

A heavy sigh was heaved before he lifted my arms and got out of the bed, and I felt strangely cold under a heavy blanket...

------

I must have fallen asleep again, because when I opened my eyes, the headache came back at full force. Slowly I sat up, leaning against the headboard.

"Ah, you're awake." I spotted the owner of the voice across the room, coffee mug in one hand, a book in the other.

I just groaned in response, clutching my head as I did so. He seemed to enjoyed my misery, striding across the room towards me looking all pretty and...balanced.

"Coffee will help, you know." he looked at me, tilting his head.

"It will? But how would it taste?" I asked, curious.

"Don't tell me you've never had coffee before."

"Well...no, I haven't."

He sat down at the edge of the bed, and raised an eyebrow, "You waitress at a café, yet you've never had coffee before. Is that right?"

I shrugged, and groaned again when another wave of pain came, "Will it really help with the hangover?"

"Yes." he stated, taking a sip and setting it down on the night stand, "painkiller isn't exactly the most healthy thing."

"Alright, give it to me."

"No." he simply said.

"What do you mean, 'no'?!" I shrieked.

"I mean: get it yourself." Sasuke Uchiha smirked, lifted the mug, taking another sip, and put it down again.

"Bastard." I muttered under my breath before reaching for it, "Fine, I'll get it myself."

That's when his hand stopped me, grabbing the wrist of my hand.

"Seriously, Uchiha!" I yelled, "What the f-MMRRGHF!"

He kissed me. And I kissed back almost instantly, tangling my free hand in his surprisingly soft hair. It wasn't long before I obediently granted his tongue entrance into my mouth. My body, all my emotions were in a frenzy, sanity completely lost in the feverish lip lock.

When the kiss stopped because of the need for air, I was quite shocked to find myself lying down on the bed again, with him on top, pinning my one hand above my head. Lightly panting, I looked up at him, questioning. That's when I noticed there was an unfamiliar taste that remained in my mouth. It was quite bitter, but within it there was another rich flavor that made it a good taste.

"Is this...?" I began to ask, lightly touching my tingling lips with the hand he left free.

"Coffee." he finished for me, flashing a mischievous smirk that nearly stopped my heart.

"Oh," I said, feeling my cheeks color, "I like it."

He laughed lightly and lowered his head back down towards mine, "By the way," he whispered in my ear, "I like you too."

And that was how Paris became my favorite city in the world.

------

_To be continued..._

_------ _

YAY! FIRST KISS! How'd I do?

(1) _Et qui est cette jolie dame?: _And who is this pretty lady?

Of course, I apologize for the delay once again. I'm updating slower than I'd like to, but please don't give up on me. I will try my hardest to update faster.

As always, OOC-ness? I don't really care about Karin, but what about Sasuke and Sakura?

And naturally, comments and suggestions are always loved and greatly appreciated!

See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Black Coffee

Hello! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and received lots and lots of presents!

I know, I'm really really really late this time...and I'm sorry, like I said, I will always update. Please be patient and don't give up on me, I just hit a writer's block... and it planned to eat me. But I got away...but not unscathed...

Reviewers: THANK YOU SOO MUCH! I could not have gotten this far without your support! If I could, I'd bake you all cookies! (Sadly though, I do not know how. But I can make spring rolls :D)

Anyways...

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any part of Naruto...but I WILL successfully kidnap Sasuke one of these days...you just watch... -shifty eyes-

Enjoy!

------

Of course, I never expected long walks on the beach under the moonlight or whatever, but expecting _something_ from him, is that so wrong? Nope.

Yet, nothing. Nothing has happened for weeks since Paris. I haven't even _seen _him since he took me home from the airport. It's like he just disappeared from my life, which was a HUGE kick in the pants after that kiss. Maybe he doesn't like me anymore, or maybe he never liked me... UGH! How _could _he? You don't just kiss a girl, tell her you like her, and VANISH INTO THIN AIR! IT'S NOT FAIR!

"Wow, so..._nothing?_"a surprised Tenten asked..

"Mm-hmm." I confirmed, pouting.

"Why don't you call him?"

"Well..."

"You forgot to ask for his phone number, didn't you?" she concluded, exasperated with my stupidity.

"Still, that's no reason to ignore me..." I sulked.

"Ha! Sai would never do that to me."

"That's because he doesn't wanna die just yet, Ino." I countered, sticking out my tongue.

"Speaking of which..." the brunette began, "you've been together for more than a week. _Way _more than a week..."

"Yeah?"

"Isn't that a record?"

"So?"

"You _lurrrve _him!" I piped up.

"No, I don't!" Ino protested, "And Sakura, don't say 'lurrrve', its creepy."

"But you _dooo._" I continued teasing, taking my mind off the troubles for now.

That night, Ino was more flustered than she's ever been her whole life! You could tell, she did have feelings for Sai-the-Cloning-Experiment-Gone-Wrong.

------

December 24th. The day before Christmas, and _still, nothing._ This little disappearing act of his was really getting on my nerves. I swore, I saw wrinkles on my face this morning!

"Do you like this dress?" Tenten held it up.

"Huh? Oh, yeah..." I answered absentmindedly.

"Nah. Too bright." the blonde cut in, going back into her universe-sized closet.

Tenten and Ino were getting ready for their dates. Which means, with my parents out of the country, I'll be spending Christmas Eve alone. What did I do wrong to deserve _this?_ I mean, it's not even reasonable! It's _not!_ I've_ always_ been a good girl! Stupid Santa...

"Will you be alright on your own, Sakura?" Tenten asked, worried.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I reassured her, "Go have fun!"

_Oh well, nothing to do now but make friends with that bucket of strawberry ice-cream back home..._

One extremely high-pitched squeal that interrupted my train of thought signaled the arrival of Neji and Sai. I sighed, this was going to be one depressing Christmas Eve.

Tenten looked back at me again, "Want Neji to take you home first?"

"That's alright, I'll take a taxi."

"You sure?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, I'm not a kid anymore." I forced a smile.

"Ok..." they were unsure, but they accepted the answer.

"Don't worry."

------

"No, Rudolph! Don't do it! He's trying to trick you!"

But of course, Rudolph did it...

"Stupid Rudolph..." I pouted at the TV, licking sweet strawberry icecream off the spoon in my hand, "Stupid Christmas specials...Stupid—"

Ringing of my cellphone stopped my ranting...for _now, _you stupid phone.

I picked up, "Hello?"

"_SAKUSAKU-CHAN!_ _FINALLY I FOUND YOU!_" the panicked voice on the other end boomed.

Sakusaku-chan? Who the hell calls me that? Well, no one stupid enough but...

"Naruto? What's wrong? Shouldn't you be with Hinata-san?"

"_I am! But it's Sasuke-teme!_"

My voice immediately became flat and indifferent, "Oh yeah? What about him?"

"_You have to go see him!_"

"Why would I do _that?_"

"_Because! He collapsed from exhaustion in his office! I had to take him home."_

What?! WHY?! HOW?! IS HE OKAY?!

Wait...why should_ I_ care? We have nothing to do with each other! Nothing!

"So?" I questioned, "Why do _I _have to go?"

"_C'mon_, _he probably wants to see you._"

"Yeah right..." I snorted.

_He'll be fine...right? Stupid! Of course he will...right? No, wait! Will he? Hey! Why do I care? I don't care!_

"_Sakura, just go. You know you want to._" I heard another voice say.

"Tenten?" Three-way calling, damn you!

"_Yes. Go. Now!"_

"_Sakura, Teme can't really take care of himself...even though he's really smart and everything, you know._" even Naruto sounded serious.

I sighed in defeat, "Fine. I'll...go."

"_YAY!_" cheered the childish blonde, "_oh! I'll give you his address._"

Well, it couldn't hurt to go...besides, it wasn't like I had anything better to do..plus, now I could take out my frustrations out on him! It's his fault!

------

I stared at the huge building in awe; wondering why it surprised me that Sasuke Uchiha, CEO of one of the biggest and most successful companies in history, would have settled for anything less than the penthouse on the top level.

_Rich bastard..._

I walkedthrough that big, intimidating, revolving doorfinding an aged man at the front desk.

"Are you visiting someone, ma'am?" he asked stiffly.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm here to see Sasuke Uchiha."I answered.

"Oh," something in his tone of voice told me I wasn't the first woman to come and look for him, "He is on the top floor. Please take the elevator on the left."

"Thank you." I said before walking away from him.

After getting out of the elevator (which was probably bigger than my room), it wasn't long before I found a set of ebony wood double doors, equally intimidating as the first door.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. But why? Why should I be nervous? I was supposed to be mad! Livid! Because that bastard—

Right then, one of the doors clicked, opening inwards, and I stopped breathing.

Maybe it's just because I was going insane, or maybe it was the separation, but I seemed to have forgotten how breathtakingly handsome he was. All the anger evaporated, that's for sure— along with my ability to think straight.

He looked at me, angelic face not giving away any particular emotion, "Yes?"

My face went red, I searched for coherent words in the big jumble of mess that was my head, "Well, Naruto...Naruto told me that you—"

I didn't say another word...I couldn't, I mean; it's kind of hard to say things when you're being kissed by the most impossibly perfect person in the world. I vaguely noticed his hands wrapping themselves around my waist, and lifting me off the ground. I barely noticed being brought into the penthouse through the door and pressed up against a wall. His soft lips were intoxicating me, making me forget everything else...

Always too soon, our lips parted in the need for air.

Out of breath, I looked up at him with big, wide bug eyes, "Shouldn't you...?Aren't you...?"

I heard a low chuckle as his head settled itself at the crook of my neck, he seemed to know what I was about to ask, and answered, "Not anymore."

"B-But...y-you...you should be resting!" I managed to stumble out.

"I'll be fine." he said calmly.

"B-Buh– EEEP!"

I squeaked out of surprise, in reaction to being picked up (bridal style!) by him, the action seeming effortless.

"See?" he said, half-smirking at my response, "I'm fine."

In three big strides, he carried me over to the couch and sat me down next to him. By that time, the color of my face could put the reddest tomato to shame, and that seemed to amuse him. And then it hit me...shouldn't I be mad? Wait...I _was _mad! He ignored me for an eternity, and now _this_?! I should be angry, furious, livid! Because that–

"Sa-ku-ra." his hushed voice sent a shiver running down my spine.

"Ehehhh?" was my pathetic reply as I turned to look at his face.

That was when I first noticed how worn out he was. There were dark circles under his eyes, they weren't there before! How much sleep did he miss?! And his onyx eyes were dulled by weariness. My heart ached at this sight.

I reached out to touch his face, "Go to bed." I ordered.

"No." he said, turning his face away to let my hand fall.

"But why not? You're tired! You _collapsed _a few hours ago, for goodness' sake!"

"Hn."

"Come on! You need rest!"

"No." he refused again.

"...Please?"

"...No."

I sighed, exasperated, "Why _not?"_

"_Because_." he insisted, stubborn like a child.

"Because _what?" _I glared at him, feeling my eyes tear up for no good reason.

There was no answer, the silence was more than unbearable. But after several minutes, he finally answered, "Because you'll leave."

It was a quiet, quick, mumble, but I heard it, and it made me unbelievably happy. I couldn't help but smile.

He faced me with a glare, "What are you laughing at?"

I saw it then, the color of his cheeks were tinted pink. It occurred to me that he was embarrassed. _Sasuke Uchiha_ was embarrassed...the world must be coming to an end. I let out a giggle.

"Stop. Laughing." he commanded.

"Ok." I obeyed, biting my lower lip.

"Hmph." he grunted.

"Now," I said, "Go to sleep."

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"I-I won't leave..." my face turned hot again, "If you don't want me to..."

"Hn." he shrugged, then his lips formed my favorite mischievous smirk, "Now..."

In an instant, I was picked up again, cradled in his strong arms.

"Wha-HEY! I thought you were going to bed!" I protested, flustered.

"Oh, _I'm _not," I could hear the laugh in his voice, "_we _are."

"B-Buh...!" I was at a loss for words, as I always was around him.

He carried me to his bedroom and laid me down on the bigger-than-king-sized four-post canopy bed, before getting under the blanket next to me.

I was in full panic mode...what does he plan to do?! I'm not ready for...for..._this! _We don't know each other that well! We're not even boyfriend and girlfriend! GAHHH! WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO?! WHY, MOTHER, WHY?!

And then...I noticed that he was already asleep.

_How anticlimactic..._

Soon, I drifted off too. So this wasn't exactly how I planned to spend Christmas Eve, but hey, it wasn't so bad...

------

_To be continued..._

------

Yay! Finally finished this chapter!

I hope you'll forgive me for taking so long...it was really hard to write this one for some reason, I kept changing it and was totally running out of ideas... WAAAH!

I'm really, really, really, really, really SORRY!

I hope you liked this one, though...

Please tell me what you think!

See ya next time, and happy early Chinese New Year! It's on February 7th! Year of the rat! Yuki Sohma! Yay!

And to those who just had exams, hope you did well! (Sure, hope I did good on mine...)

Ok, I'll shut up now. Bye!


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